Missing jewels: the decline of a wood-nesting forest bee, <i>Augochlora pura</i> (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), in northern Georgia

Abstract It is clear from research on pollinator declines that some taxa are more vulnerable than others. The sooner these more sensitive species are detected, and the cause(s) contributing to their decline are identified, the better the chance of developing effective conservation plans. Using data from nine studies conducted in northern Georgia, U.S., we present evidence that Augochlora pura (Say) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), once one of the most abundant of all forest bee species in our study area, is becoming less common as a proportion of all bees collected and has experienced a 70 % decline in abundance over the past 18 years (2007–2024) at long-term monitoring sites. We hypothesize that Brachyponera chinensis (Emery) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), the Asian needle ant, is contributing to the decline of A. pura and possibly other bee species within its invaded range.